NapbellBaby cry alert app
Napbell listens for crying on a spare Android phone placed by the crib. When it hears a few seconds of steady crying, it rings the phone you carry like an alarm, even when that phone is locked, until you check in. The cry detector runs on the baby phone itself, so no sound is recorded or sent to a server.
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How the cry alert works
- The baby phone listens. A sound model on the phone checks the room's sound a few seconds at a time and throws it away.
- It waits for steady crying. A cough or a squeak does not ring your phone; a few seconds of crying does.
- Your phone rings. The parent phone sounds an alarm and shows "Baby may be crying" with a big button to silence it.
- You decide. Watch the live video or listen in before you get up, or hold to talk to settle your baby.
Cry alerts vs a sound-activated monitor
Classic monitors and most phone apps alert on loudness: any sound above a level wakes you, including a car outside, a fan or a sibling. Napbell's detector listens for the sound of crying specifically and needs it to last a few seconds. You can make it more or less sensitive, and the app adjusts gently on your phone when you mark an alert as wrong or a cry as missed. It is not perfect, so keep checking on your baby as you normally would.
Cry only mode: alerts without a camera
If you do not want a camera on in the nursery, choose Cry only. The baby phone keeps its microphone on to listen for crying, streams nothing, and still rings your phone when crying starts. Switch to Audio or Video from your own phone whenever you want to look in. Everything stays on your home Wi-Fi: see baby monitor without internet.
Built on two phones you already own
You need two Android phones on the same Wi-Fi, one near the crib and one with you. Setup takes a minute with a QR code: baby monitor app for two phones. Or start from the beginning: turn an old phone into a baby monitor camera.
Questions
Does the cry alert work when my phone is locked?
Yes. On the parent phone, the cry alert rings like an alarm and shows a full-screen alert, even when the phone is locked, until you check in. Allow notifications and full-screen alerts for Napbell when asked.
Will it go off for every noise?
It is designed not to. It waits for a few seconds of steady crying before it rings. You can choose Sensitive, Balanced or Fewer alerts and tell it when an alert was wrong or a cry was missed.
Does it translate why my baby is crying?
No. Napbell tells you that your baby is crying so you can check. It does not claim to know why.
Is the sound sent anywhere to be analysed?
No. The cry detector runs on the baby phone. Sound is analysed in memory a few seconds at a time and discarded. Nothing is recorded or uploaded.
How much do cry alerts cost?
Cry alerts are free for 15 days. After that, one payment keeps them and removes ads on both paired phones. There is no subscription.
Can I use cry alerts without the camera?
Yes. Choose Cry only: the microphone listens for crying and the camera stays off. Nothing is streamed until you choose Audio or Video.